GEN-PINC Scholarship Winners 2021-2022

What is the GEN-PINC Scholarship?

In August of 2020, the Genentech Foundation has graciously awarded the PINC program a $580,750 grant that provides scholarship opportunities for students

This GEN-PINC grant will provide scholarships and mentor support to 10 PINC students starting the Fall of 2020. Selected students in the program will receive $4500 for the whole academic year. 

Through the GEN-PINC program, scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to collaborate on projects with researchers from industries and other academic institutions such as Genentech, IBM, and Stanford. Through these projects, students will be able to strengthen their computational training, receive mentorships, and establish professional relationships in preparation for careers post-graduation.

Thank you to the PIs who submitted this grant (Anagha Kulkarni, Ilmi Yoon, and Pleuni Pennings) and Genentech for the generous award! We look forward to this partnership and collaboration.

2021-2022 Scholarship Recipients

Jason Hernandez Henry Brown Elizabeth Mathiasen Chisom Obiorah Catie Giske Ha Won Lee Tracy Tjang
Phuong Phan Fayeeza Shaikh Susan Suski Erica Tate Harprince Pooni Ingrid Mazariegos Jose Verdin
Kamillah Felix Sandra Khalaf Pamela Caro De Silva Robert Cacho Ruiz Jessica Zepeda Gineton Alencar Maricarmen Gonzalez Torres
  Aleyna Isik Jackie Valentino Phelan Glenn Jaizel Robles Nathnael Gebre

 

2021-2022 GEN-PINC Scholar Spotlight

hannah

Hannah

The Gen-PINC scholarship is the first scholarship that I've ever received, and it brought me a sense of accomplishment that I've never felt before. The scholarship encouraged me to keep going and always give it a shot rather than assuming the worst and doing nothing. The scholarship also has monthly check-ins that help me stay on track with a healthy mindset.”

kamillah

Kamillah

“Being selected for the Gen-PINC scholarship has expressed that there are people who are willing to support me in my academic endeavors, which is something that I am completely grateful for. It's also a testament to all of the hard work I've put in to explore my passions and towards achieving my career goals.”

phuong

Phong

“This scholarship provides wonderful networking opportunities for me to meet and work with a lot of great people. Also, The Gen-PINC scholarship and the PINC program have been a great support for me in learning useful computer application skills, which I can apply in my educational and professional goals, and my future career in the science field.”

chisom

Chisom

“I got an internship with Genentech my first semester in the program. It really is creating a path for me and I am looking forward to learning more coding applications, networking, and seeing where it takes me. The scholarship helped alleviate some bills so I could focus more on school. Also, I really appreciate having counselors I can talk to and they reply fast and give you the best advice.”

carmen

Maricarmen

“Machine learning is beneficial, but putting it into practice may be challenging, which is why I believe it is worthwhile to study. I believe that now is an excellent time to begin learning MLA. You can build your own projects that you're interested in, with the knowledge you've gained. I'd like to be able to use machine learning and predictive analytics to collect, analyze, and comprehend complicated sets of data.”

susan

Susan

“The PINC program is tailored for students and the community who share common characteristics. By these characteristics I mean, those who are willing to search for the support and aid to further experience encouragement, inspiration, breaking glass ceilings, and to find someone who is willing to believe in their goals.”

liz

Elizabeth

“I love being in the PINC Program. I have gone from being a person who was terrified of coding, to a person who is now able to mentor other PINC students as they begin their journey. It was scary at first to go outside of my discipline (biology), but learning to code has opened up so many more research possibilities for me. I'm in a computational lab now doing an important ecology project that would be impossible without coding.”

phelan

Phelan

“Being selected as a recipient of this award tells me that this program sees the work that I've put into pursuing the PINC minor and that they believe in my dedication. I am currently leaning towards pursuing a career researching neurodegenerative ailments and disorders, with the goal of understanding triggers and prevention. I have been personally affected by these varying disorders so I would like to use the things I've learned to contribute more to this research community.”

tracy

Tracy

“I am responsible for supporting my family by paying bills in the house, so it helps support me as a full-time student while I have my part-time job. The scholarship also made me want to challenge myself and aim higher. For my educational goals, I was always a bit afraid of computer science. With PINC, I am able to break these fears and slowly gain a whole new skill.”

aleyna

Aleyna

"Confidence is built on accomplishments - being selected and receiving the Gen-PINC scholarship has given me self-assurance and appreciation of my own abilities and qualities. As a biology major, it wouldn't have been possible for me to obtain computational training alongside my degree in a timely manner without the PINC program. Also, having a good support system has further contributed to my resilience and ability to manage stress during challenging times."

catie

Catie

“This scholarship, and the help from the professors and mentors, gives me the confidence that I am where I need to be. This scholarship has become another reason for me to keep pushing myself. There has been an amazing amount of unity in this program as well. I am really excited to see how I will be able to apply my knowledge to sustainable research practices using predicting and large DNA banks.”

jessica

Jessica

“Being selected for the Gen-PINC scholarship has allowed me to see that my accomplishments have been recognized and I am truly grateful for the opportunities that it may bring to me in the future. The scholarship has also given me that push to keep seeking a career within the biotech industry which has been a dream of mine.”

fayeeza

Fayeeza

“It feels great to be a part of the scholarship as I can learn more about the Biotechnology field and using coding and computational skills in Biology. I never imagined how Biology could take help from coding to find out more about drug resistance and treatment for different diseases. For my professional goals, I am hoping to learn more about a professional career in Biotechnology and apply for different internships and conferences.”

gineton

Gineton

“I have been able to quickly learn several new skills related to data science, machine learning, and biotechnology. The program's interdisciplinary nature has been very valuable to my pursuit of an education that has both depth and breadth. I have also been able to learn from and network with students, faculty, and professionals from multiple fields.”

jackie

Jackie

“Being selected and receiving the Gen-PINC scholarship is an encouragement, an extra push, to keep showing up for myself with an open mind and heart. It is the support to embrace every failure and challenge I experience and to gracefully move forward with humility and confidence. I am looking forward to receiving computational training from the PINC instructors and mentors, and building meaningful connections with the PINC community"

Sandra

Sandra

"When I got the email that I had received this scholarship, I was filled with joy. It honestly felt like I had accomplished a small yet significant thing in my journey towards getting my degree. Receiving this scholarship is an accomplishment for me that motivates and encourages me to move forward on my path, especially when I get to a bumpy road.”

henry

Henry

“Receiving the Gen-PINC scholarship means that I have money to support myself, and it means I have been given the opportunity to be part of a community. It has also been a boon and a big nudge in the right direction. The constant networking and professional development is also a big plus.”

harprince

Harprince

“I want to get involved in precision medicine and research solutions in medicine. Programming languages such as Python that extracts and applies data will better equip me to understand precision medicine which combines traditional medicine with computation for improved disease management.”

pamela

Pamela

“The Gen-PINC  scholarship has truly been helpful, and it has given me more confidence because for the first time in my life I was awarded with a scholarship. Coming from a place where that kind of opportunity doesn’t come by often, I am not only happy but motivated to continue studying hard to keep up with my studies.”

ingrid

Ingrid

“Recently we started learning statistics from a python perspective and soon we will start covering some data science; this is all so interesting because as a bio major, we touch on various disciplines such as biostatistics, biophysics, biochem, so on, and now python is a whole new perspective that I’m applying to biology. This is only the beginning, so I’m a little mind-blown to think of all the other classes that build up and can all be applied to biology too.”

nathnael

Nathnael

"I am a migrant and I have been living, working and going to school in Oakland for my fourth year now. I absolutely appreciate every moment, but it is difficult trying to excel at school and make a living as well as supporting my family back home. Getting this scholarship means I have more time to focus on my school and personal growth and not having to worry about money as much while doing this."

2022 GEN-PINC Scholars Graduation Celebration

2022 graduation

On Wednesday May 25th, we reunited in person to celebrate the accomplishments of our PINC and gSTAR students. It has been a long and winding road for these graduates, but they kept pushing and earned their Computing Applications minor and Data Science and Machine Learning for Biotechnology certificate!!

The event took place at the Seven Hills Conference Center. We were very honored to host several instrumental members of the Genentech team, who we partnered with to develop the curriculum for our gSTAR certificate program. Of particular note was Marlena Jackson, Sr. Diversity & Inclusion Business Partner at Genentech. Marleana is one of the founding members of the gSTAR program and her contributions to the establishment and growth of the program cannot be understated. We also hosted a poster session where grads were able to showcase their research, and the whole event was capped off with an industry mixer! Students, grads, and alumni were all able to rub elbows with scientific and industry leaders from IBM, UCSF, Genentech, NVIDIA and more!!